Geely aiming for Level 4 autonomous driving by 2022 with V2X & 5G support

Geely Auto Group laid down its vision for the future of autonomous drive at the Dragon Bay Forum event.

The annual 2019 Dragon Bay Forum brought together leaders from government institutions, as well as information technology, telecommunications and automotive industries to share ideas on the continual introduction of autonomous driving technologies.

Geely Auto Group has been one of the foremost leaders in autonomous drive technologies in China, as it is one of the earliest adoptees of Level 2 technologies, making Geely vehicles among the safest on the road. In the first four months of 2019, Geely Auto has sold over 450,000 vehicles equipped with Level 2 technologies, placing it as market leader in the segment.

As the chief partner to the 2022 Asian Games, Geely Auto has committed to developing autonomous drive solutions that can be used during the games under the slogan “Enjoy Mobility @ the Asian Games with Geely”. By 2022, Geely Auto will have developed a fully autonomous system that utilizes 5G communications, edge computing and V2X infrastructure technologies to create a driverless environment capable of taking athletes and guests around the event sites.

As a follow on commercially available products, Geely will develop an Automated Valet Parking System which will allow cars to self-park and be able to be summoned to a location on demand using V2X and 5G systems. Geely Auto’s research has shown that drivers in major cities such as Beijing spend up to 30 minutes looking for a parking spot each day, while Shanghai drivers will spend up to 25 minutes leaving major car parks in malls or supermarkets every time they go shopping. The Geely Automated Valet Parking System allows for greater convenience to users and aims to make traveling more convenient.

On the sidelines of the Dragon Bay Forum, Geely Auto Group also signed an agreement with the Ningbo Government to establish an autonomous drive test zone in the Hangzhou Bay and transform the district into a smart city. Starting in August 2019, the installation of road side sensors, edge computing systems and V2X/5G solutions will create a fully integrated system allowing autonomous cars to communicate with other cars and infrastructure around them.

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Chairman, Li Shufu, commented: “The goal of intelligent autonomous driving is to create a safe, secure mobility service that allows for vehicles and infrastructure to communicate freely.”

Geely Auto Group’s parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, has already paved the future for the industrialization of autonomous driving with key strategic cooperation agreements. This includes leading suppliers such as China Telecom, which will see the two work on programmes such as 5G and V2X applications.

Geely Auto Group President and CEO, Mr. An Conghui, commented: “Geely Auto is committed to transforming into a technology leader of which autonomous drive technologies will be at its core. We are now focusing our efforts on developing Level 4 autonomous drive systems that are fit for Chinese and global market applications.”